This invention relates generally to fishing rods. More particularly, this invention relates to a fishing rod which may be selectively varied in stiffness as desired by the fisherman to accommodate a variety of fishing conditions.
Conventional fishing rods are available in a variety of fixed strengths. Extremely flexible fishing rods are commonly denoted as "light action" rods, while stiffer or heavier rods range from "medium action" to "heavy action" rods. As will be recognized by those skilled in the art, a light action rod is often desirable for casting light lures relatively long distances. A light action rod is often advantageous when smaller fish such as crappies, sunfish or trout are being sought by the fisherman. A light action rod is also advantageous for proper presentation of light lures such as small jigs, poppers or the like. On the other hand a heavy action rod is advantageous when fishing with large or heavy lures such as tandom spins, weighted plastic worms, or heavier top water lures in the 5/8's to 7/8's ounce class. It is thus advantageous to employ a medium action or heavy action rod when fishing for large mouth bass or northern pike. Since a heavy action rod will be more difficult to cast, some fishermen compromise and employ a "medium action" rod under most circumstances. However, when a light action or medium action rod is employed, it may result in anxious moments when the fisherman hooks into the once in a lifetime trophy fish in the 20 to 30 pound category. Because of his fear of loosing a large fish, some fishermen will employ a heavy action rod at all times. However, as mentioned, a heavier action rod will be more difficult and tedious to cast.
The problem of rod strength is well known in the fly fishing art. When fly fishing for trout, for example, a fisherman may employ a relatively light action fly rod, the "strength" of which may be denoted as a "number 5." The extreme flexibility of such a rod allows the fly fisherman to reach out long distances and to adequately handle relatively small trout. Skillful anglers often employ a relatively stiff fly rod in the pursuit of largemouth bass or northern pike. An effective technique is to present a popper or a large fly at the edge of a weed bed known to be inhabited by bass. Bass fishermen, for example, may employ a relatively stiff number 8 or 9 rod when fishing in this fashion. While a stiff fly rod is generally more difficult to handle than a lighter action fly rod, when a large bass is hooked it will be easier to land with a heavier rod.
For these and other reasons it is thus desirable to employ a fishing rod which can be varied by the fisherman between relatively light action and relatively heavy action strengths. It would appear that no known fishing rod accomplishes these objectives in a practical manner. One prior art fishing rod which can be varied in strength is disclosed by Backe in the U.S. Pat. No. 2,351,734 issued June 20, 1944. The latter rod comprises a plurality of individual sections which are externally coupled together by means of springs. Collapsible or flexible structural members are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,822,896 issued to W. Schuster, on Feb. 11, 1958; U.S. Pat. No. 3,349,526, issued to Schuster on May 20, 1965; U.S. Pat. No. 2,524,748 issued to Baker on Oct. 10, 1950; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,886,700 issued to Lambert on June 3, 1975. A foldable antenna is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,379,577 issued to H. Harsted, on July 3, 1945. All of the known relevant prior art devices comprise a plurality of individual external segments which are adapted to be selectively coupled together.